Increase Voter Turnout: Voting Reminders

Everything you do to motivate eligible persons to vote is considered “election advertising”. As the organiser of the election you are also performing the role of an advertising executive.

Advertising is a multi-layered and deeply researched field, with many studies seeking to determine which different forms of advertising work best. Another large area of research also helps to get the best results: psychology. If you already happen to be in the business of advertising, you can apply your knowledge of this extensively researched field to your advantage in your election – for example, using the power of reminders and repetition to motivate your voters.

Repetition Helps us Learn

We often learn through repetition in order to internalise things such as mathematical formulae, historical dates or telephone numbers. The same concept is also used in the field of advertising. You would have certainly noticed that during a single television ad break there are often two adverts for the same product. The first and longer version is the “main spot” and the second shorter version the “reminder”. The reminder recalls to the viewer's mind the product featured in the main spot. Studies show that viewers remember advertised products better after “double adverts”.

Making use of a voting reminder in your election can positively influence your voter turnout. People tend to like being reminded because it gives them the feeling of being valued and appreciated. “It is important to me that you take part in this election” is the message your reminder sends to your voters.

Send out a Voting Reminder before the End of the Election Period

“Reminding“ doesn't necessarily mean your voters have forgotten to vote and need to be reminded. The voting reminder is another way to make the election a present issue again and thereby increase voter turnout – particularly because using the right language in the reminder can contribute to the sense of belonging.

POLYAS-Tip: People tend to react strongly to a sense of urgency, so include the number of days left to vote in your voting reminder as a countdown. When voting online with POLYAS, you can see your voter turnout in real time and inform your voters about the election in the voting reminder.

Online Voting Reminders are Faster

There are various easy and low-cost ways to send out voting reminders. Rather than sending out expensive postal reminders, instead send reminder emails to all voters with the click of a mouse. If you have taken into account our tips to increase your voter turnout by using effective and personalised language, the voting reminder can be very useful during the final days of the election period.